VA Business Class

Just an idea! I have not taken a lot of notice of the food outlets in the domestic airports so may be guessing my idea a bit.

Because of the awful VA snack box wouldn't it be a good move if one of the food outlets put together a far more substantial food box for Passengers to take on board. The Business Class fare difference between QF, where you do get a meal and VA's current snack box would well and truly pay for a decent box of food. It would have to be fully self contained and probably taken off with you when finished.

Maybe there is such a thing already but if not this might work.

@Rod H

I am guessing there will be many VA J class pax still hoping that their flight meal menu will be sorted by the time they get on their flight and this misguided hoping not helped by the flight attendants telling people it will be changed soon (as you yourself were told) so it is possible that no one is prepared for the shock despite the well publicised noodlegate (echoed worldwide) months ago. Furthermore even for Sydney or Melbourne departure point I wonder if these stalls will sell more than 20-30 boxes on weekdays and the profit from them may be more marginal than worthwhile, unless the boxes are priced low enough to attract economy class pax who were going to order and pay for meals for long flights anyway, then volume of 50-100 boxes daily would turn the table

Flew Virgin business Brisbane to Cairns on Wednesday afternoon flight depart 1350. Crew introduced self to all pax. Advised of snack box but all drinks available. Crew did not know when new service would start. Return Qantas depart at 0940 and hot lunch offered with full bar. Couple of weeks ago this was a hot snack service in business, so unsure why it has changed to lunch at that time of day.

It would seem that QF are quite clever in that they are providing full service now whilst VA Management are procrastinating about their "maybe " service and that will undoubtedly swing quite a few VA Business Class passengers to them.

Smart marketing?

Flew Business Class Virgin Cairns to Melbourne on the 17th Jan knowing what to expect with snack box at lunchtime. Box was as ordinary as expected but service was exceptional. Wasn't driving so flight attended was excited to be able to spoil us with wine. Had a great time. Thanked her for such great service and told her Virgin is indebted to her. I feel sorry for the staff with what they are forced to offer and what they have been through.

Benmccartney. I fully concur with your experience on your recent VA Flight.

I injured my hip and for the first time in my life needed wheelchair assistance at the Airports. VA ground staff were so thoughtful and wonderfully helpful in every respect , could not have asked for better. On Board very much the same as yourself re. service and also with extremely friendly Flight attendants, once again fabulous.

It is sad to have to watch the staff do the best they can with the miserable offerings they are given to distribute.

If it weren't for the great staff I reckon VA would have lost a lot more passengers to QF.

Just watched the ABC's TV Programme " The Business " ( on iview) with an interview with Jane H.

I'm not sure if I heard anything new or any real confirmation about the future of VA's Business Class product or did I miss something? She did sort of briefly mention it when questioned but very little response was given.

I guess the border changes are causing massive problems for the Airlines , much more so than almost any other Business.

Not much else was said except the need for an extension of the Job Keeper programme to save the jobs of a lot of workers.

Let's hope things do improve for VA's wonderful work force as they were amongst the best and nicest there was.

At last we now know when we will find out just what VA's Business Class will or won't be like.

The Bain Brain Dept. have said they will announce it in March sometime so until then it's a guessing game.

Received this message from Jayne last night as did a lot of other Velocity Gold Members.

It would seem like there's not long to wait before the official announcement.

"As CEO and Managing Director of Virgin Australia Group, I’m honoured to welcome you onboard as we prepare to embark on an exciting new chapter in our journey as an airline.

There was more in the message but this is the only pertinent piece for this topic.

@Rod H

You realise of course the following:

1. It's a lot of fluff with not much new info unless the email recipient had been living under a rock or was not looking out for news on VA for the last 6 months

2. As a cheap and non-news piece of marketing with minimal details to a mass email sendout, this could have occurred last year upon new CEO takeover but no, it happens after Qantas inflight service becomes more normal and Rex is within 2 weeks of starting its jet service and j class product

3. Despite the series of hints over the last few months suggesting March is the start of the new product, this email 2 weeks away from March did not actually mention that start date which makes me wonder why so coy?

4. I would have thought the email would contain at least a website link to a list of the new j class and upper tier product benefits like the usual priority boarding or exclusive baggage and security check in line (which should be no big deal) without having to specify meal menu etc

BTW it's a mass mail out to all tiers of velocity programme.

XWu. Yes, I realise it's a mass mail out to all Velocity members and yes I agree with clauses 2,3,4. of your post.

Sure we all were waiting for some meaningful news from Janye which did not happen until this last bit which is only a slightly newsworthy piece.

At last she is starting to communicate but as many have said maybe too little too late.

There was an old saying that describes total chaos amongst Executives is " when they all run around stabbing each other in the FRONT ".

Maybe the " cleaner " has tidied the system and is now embarking on a fresh programme.

One would like to think so anyway.

@ Rod H

One can also claim she has been communicating since taking over but only via a series of interviews and TV news snippets but seriously to neglect the loyalty members who had signed on to receive the VA junk mail and marketing spam is either a serious oversight or really taking velocity members for granted.

I would think by the end of March we will only get not much of more news or perhaps a “soft launch” of the J class product which will continue to morph and I will say I told you so, but it will be too much of dancing on the grave on the much loved VA of 2019 who is stone cold dead.

It will be interesting to see if the employees can maintain their enthusiasm beyond just the matter of keeping their job in these hard times for aviation industries

It has been reported in ET that VA's big announcement re. the new J Class meals/ service will now be announced at the end of March.

I just hope it's a good compromise between the fabulous service that was before and the horrible snack box ATM.

I just can't force myself to jump ship to QF who have had the J class market mostly to themselves, mainly because for years there wasn't any competition and they built up a customer base until VA decided to take them on . It seems to me that QF think they are still top dog and are the National Carrier (which they are not ) because their leader keeps telling us they are.

AS Jayne has quoted there's no doubt about it that VA's reborn J class service probably won't be as top notch as QF but the price won't be either so commensurate with the fare price and the service offered VA just may have a real winner.

I'm certainly going to give VA a go despite my ramblings and frustration I posted some time ago about the long delay in getting themselves sorted out.

Time will tell!!!